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Musicmaster pickup replacement: Sentell, or Curtis Novak?

Favorite Musicmaster replacement

  • Total voters
    8
sonicblue62

sonicblue62

Nov 9, 2009
595
539
51
Twin Falls, Idaho
www.youtube.com
#1
I'm upgrading the ol' 78 Musicmaster and am hoping to draw from TBer's experience with replacement pickups. The Novak costs more, but that's not an issue if it's a markedly "better" pickup (totally subjective, I know).
There are 3 different possibilities with Sentell, and I'm too much of a pickup novice to understand how something like 6.5k vs 8.5k ohms translates to "sounds like a p bass", "sounds more vintage" or whatever. Descriptions here:
https://www.sentellpickups.net/bass
I appreciate your thoughts!
 
#5
Those Sentell's look interesting as well.
sonicblue62 said:
Sentell also makes a humbucking Musicmaster pickup (model B48). Does a numbucker have a distinctly different tone, other than the absence of hum?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure about the humbucker sound, but just a single coil can get quite noise in a house full of dimmer lights. That's one reason why the P-Bass and the Mustang pickups are so awesome, they humbuck.
I just emailed Sentell to ask their thoughts. I'll post their reply.
 
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#7
Sentell got back to me real quick. The are awesome. I asked them which Musicmaster pickup sounded closest to a P-Bass and didn't pickup the the 60 cycle hum that the original has.
They recommend the B48.
They also said...
"All of the Music master replacement pickups are well balanced. The B16 with two magnets per string is most like a P bass the B23 and B18 have a bassier tone the larger the magnet of the B18 gives it more bottom end. The B48 is humbucking."

This is a photo of the B18's. I'd prefer the original cover instead.
upload_2023-10-24_14-19-40.png


I like the Aero MusicMaster 4 and the Curtis Novak MM Bass V both fit under the original pickup cover.

But the Sentell B48 & B16 look like they use the original cover (I have not verified this yet).

I've also just read on TB about how the electronic on the MM are not great...
"it's the the way that the electronics are wired that rob these guys of their tone... That second cap in the tone circuit really wants to bleed all the clarity."
https://www.talkbass.com/threads/78-musicmaster-new-pickup-day.1209050/

Ugh. Too much to deal with. I'm not changing the electronics too. This thing needs to stay as close to vintage original as possible. A simple PU switch is all I'd consider.

I also just think about selling this thing and getting JMJ Mustang and call it good. I love how this feels and looks. I love that it's vintage, but I'm not sure it's worth all the rigmarole.
 
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#8
I have not tried any of these pickups but I have been VERY impressed with other pickups I got from Curtis Novak. Not quite as impressed with his communication though. In my experience he takes a long time to answer emails, or doesn't answer at all. Also, don't expect the pickup to ship immediately. I ordered a pickup from him quite recently and it took around two weeks + shipping time. Not bad for a pickup that's built to order, just something to be aware of.

FWIW I've been very happy with a Musicmaster pickup I got from The Creamery. They make superb pickups, and they are surprisingly cheap for hand made, built to order pickup. You can even get it wound to your preferred specs if you contact them, or rather "him" as it seems to be a one-man operation. Which again brings up the point of build time and poor communication. With The Creamery you can expect very poor commiunication and months of waiting (if he even takes orders). But the pickups are superb!
 
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#9
What's not to your liking with the original stock pickup?

I have a Bronco Bass and I switched out the pickup with an exact fit Dragonfire Strat pickup. Dual coil, no hum and beefier sound. Excellent improvement!

Dragonfire Duo Rail Hot HumBucking Strat Single Size Pickup, 1 qty Color Choice | eBay

Fleor pickups are AlNiCo 5 magnets and your choice of 7, 10 or 14 K ohm. Excellent price!

FLEOR Alnico 5 Dual Hot Rail Pickup Mini Humbucker Neck/Bridge fit Strat Guitar | eBay

Don't be fooled. A pickup is a pickup whether if it says Strat or Bass.

Save yourself a lot of money and still get an excellent improvement of sound.
 
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#11
I’ll vouch for the Aero, but wanted to make a recommendation before you buy a pickup. You don’t have to do do major surgery for the electronics. Just cut out one of the caps and it will open up the sound. Then decide if you still want to swap out the pickup. The pickup swap alone won’t fix the massive tone roll off. Trust me, I tried.
 
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#13
I never tried Sentell or Curtis Novak pickups, but I have experience with MM basses. If you are looking for a sound more on the 51 P-bass style you should try a wider pickup. Time ago I ordered to Aero some custom pickups, basically a 51 P-bass pickup with the MM string spacing. That's exactly what the Squier Vista Series MM pickup is. The only problem I found was that the original pickguard had a smaller hole for the pickup than the pickup size (I used a Squier Vista Series pickguard). I think the guys from Aero still have the drawing I sent with the meassurements.

In another thread I have post a picture of the bass, and a studio recording.

Anyway, if you don't want to modify your bass, go for one of those MM pickups that doesn't need a modiffication, the B48 version seems interesting. Any of those pickups is an improvement for sure.
 
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#16
Just a heads up, I have a Sentell B16 with a black cover (drop-in upgrade with double-poles like a Fender J or P bass pickup), that I bought new a few years back for a 3-pickup project that did not pan out as I had originally planned. This pickup was actually the best sounding in the bass, which is why I held on to it, but I have more basses than I can realistically justify currently and don't plan to take on more projects anytime soon. Feel free to private message me if you're interested in a gently used, perfectly functional specimen at a discount.

That said, I can also echo the praise of the Lace Sensor pickups. I had a Lace Sensor "red" model (their hottest strat style pickup, if I'm not mistaken) in a Squier Bronco middle position that sounded really great as well. Instead of individual poles, these pickups have a conductive 36-tooth conductive shell underneath the cover that eliminates the need for individual poles and makes the compatible with bass or guitar. It eventually lost out to a Hammon Darkstar pickup in the Bronco, but the Lace now lives in the bridge position of my short scale Thunderbird frankenstein bass, where it really shines.
 
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#18
A bit an off-topic, apologies.

Has anyone had a normal communication with Curtis lately?

I asked a technical question re.one of his pickups that I own. Months ago.
No response, despite numerous reminders.

Is it how it goes nowadays?

P.S.: it's a Musicmaster pickup as well.
 
#19
sonicblue62 said:
I'm upgrading the ol' 78 Musicmaster and am hoping to draw from TBer's experience with replacement pickups. The Novak costs more, but that's not an issue if it's a markedly "better" pickup (totally subjective, I know).
There are 3 different possibilities with Sentell, and I'm too much of a pickup novice to understand how something like 6.5k vs 8.5k ohms translates to "sounds like a p bass", "sounds more vintage" or whatever. Descriptions here:
Bass | Sentell Pickups
I appreciate your thoughts!
Click to expand...
I just came upon this thread. @sonicblue62 did you ever change the pickup in your Bronco? Do you even still have the Bronco?
 

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